[News] Opposition Violence at Venezuelan University - What Really Happened

[Anti-Imperialist News]

Published on venezuelanalysis.com 
(<http://www.venezuelanalysis.com>http://www.venezuelanalysis.com)
Opposition Violence at Venezuelan University - What Really Happened

Author:
Rodrigo Trompiz and Jorge Martin - Hands Off Venezuela
Source (Text):
Hands Off Venezuela
Source (URL):
http://www.handsoffvenezuela.org/violence_venezuela_university.htm

According to eyewitness reports from Hands Off Venezuela members, 
violence broke out yesterday in Caracas when opposition students 
arrived back from a peaceful demonstration against the proposed 
constitutional reforms. Apparently frustrated by the lack of 
violence, a group of about 250 of the opposition students (many from 
other universities) went straight to the Central University of 
Venezuela (UCV) to the School of Social Work which is a stronghold of 
revolutionary students inside UCV.

There, a group of revolutionary students was campaigning for a yes 
vote in the referendum. They had an assembly for 
students/teachers/non-teaching staff in the morning and were putting 
up posters and giving out leaflets.

They were then attacked by the opposition students who surrounded the 
School. Molotov cocktails and stones were thrown, the toilets were 
destroyed, the door of the Students Centre (Bolivarian dominated) was 
burned down, and around 150 people (students, teachers and 
non-teaching staff) were trapped inside the building for several 
hours, with the violent opposition students trying to force their way 
into the building to lynch them.

Some of the students inside the Faculty are nationally known 
Bolivarian student leaders (including Andreina Taranzon who spoke in 
the debate with opposition students at the National Assembly earlier 
this year at the time of the RCTV protests). They managed to call the 
state TV and reported live on what was happening.

The police are not allowed to enter University premises owing to a 
law on University autonomy. The Mayor of Caracas offered the 
possibility of the Metropolitan Police going in to contain violence 
and allow people in the School to come out, but the rector of the 
University, a member of the opposition, refused the offer. The 
University authorities are responsible for security on their own 
premises and did nothing to prevent violence from escalating.
Violent oppositon supporters at the UCV- picture Reuters

Violent oppositon supporters at the UCV- picture Reuters

Meanwhile, opposition TV stations were full of reports that masked 
Chavista supporters had fired on opposition students and that one 
person had been killed (this was then proven to be false, nine 
students were injured, most of them from inhaling fumes from the 
fires started by opposition students).

Finally, the head of emergency and fire-fighting services was allowed 
by the rector to go into the university and negotiate the safe exit 
of the people who were trapped inside the School of Social Work by a 
violent mob of opposition students.
The School of Social Work trashed by opposition students (ABN)

The School of Social Work trashed by opposition students (ABN)

The international media has been "reporting" about these clashes as 
if "armed Chavista gunmen" had fired on peaceful opposition students. 
A member of Hands Off Venezuela was present at the University when 
the violence broke out. He reports that the gunmen who originally 
opened fire stopped him on his way through the UCV to the Bolivarian 
University nearby. He reports that the two gunmen on the motorbike 
did not look like students, but were more likely thugs hired for the 
occasion and that they were shouting anti-Chavez slogans and boasting 
of having shot at Chavistas.

Even news agencies now are reporting that Bolivarian armed men 
arrived at the UCV after the opposition students had sieged 150 
people inside the building of the School of Social Work to help those 
sieged gain safe passage out:
Later, armed men riding motorcycles arrived, scaring off students and 
standing at the doorway - one of them firing a handgun in the air - 
as people fled the building. 
(<http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-7060225,00.html>The 
Guardian [1] )

What Hands Off Venezuela eyewitness report is that, faced with the 
inaction of the University authorities, hundreds of students, 
University workers and people from nearby neighbourhoods finally went 
into the University to help the people at the School of Social Work 
escape from the violent mob of opposition students. Some of them were 
carrying guns, which was only normal considering the extremely 
violent nature of the situation.

Bolivarian students, teachers and non-teaching staff have now held a 
joint meeting at the UCV and called for a demonstration against 
fascist aggressions to take place in the UCV on November 15.

Videos of the violent attack by opposition students can be seen here:
    * 
<http://www.radiomundial.com.ve/yvke/noticia.php?988>http://www.radiomundial.com.ve/yvke/noticia.php?988 
[2]
    * http://www.radiomundial.com.ve/yvke/noticia.php?990 [3]


Image Description:
Violent opposition students outside the School of Social Work (ABN)

----------
Source URL: 
<http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/2818>http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/2818 


Links:
[1] http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-7060225,00.html
[2] http://www.radiomundial.com.ve/yvke/noticia.php?988
[3] http://www.radiomundial.com.ve/yvke/noticia.php?990




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